Environmental safety: introducing Best Available Technologies

Kazakhstan is preparing for the transition to a "green" economy. The main steps in this direction are already being taken. It is expected that soon 50 industrial enterprises, which are the main pollutants, will reduce their negative impact on the environment. The transition mechanism is already provided for in the Environmental Code, which entered into force recently.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan occupies the 33rd place out of 115 in the city pollution ranking by states. The index of our country is 73.4. Cameroon, Mongolia and Myanmar are on the top of the ranking. Finland has the best indicator in the world with an index of 12.1. Among the CIS countries, Azerbaijan is higher by a level.  Moldova, Ukraine, Russia, Armenia and Belarus hold lower positions.

Industrial facilities of the energy sector, mining and metallurgical complex, cement and chemical industries of the country will be the first to switch to the principles of BAT. National reference books are being developed for the transition to these technologies. There will be 16 of them in total. This is done by a special bureau at the International Center for Green Technologies and Innovative Projects.

“After the development of the national reference books, enterprises of the first category - the main pollutants will be able to receive a comprehensive environmental permit and, accordingly with the accompanying draft law of the tax code. And from 2025, they will be exempt from payment for environmental pollution. Transition to Best Available Technologies means modernization, automation of all technological processes, re-equipment. Enterprises are becoming transparent to the state and society. In general, this leads to a comprehensive reduction of the negative impact on the environment, including on public health,” said Yerlan Tasbayev, Head, Best Available Technologies Bureau.

Average daily results of air pollution by enterprises, excess concentration of harmful substances, and in general, and information about the environmental situation in the country - all this is provided in the interactive map. Its developer is the Association of Environmental Organizations of the country.

“Real-time monitoring is available. We are talking only about large industrial enterprises, we are not talking about the whole country yet. We hope that this will be some kind of interactive map more informative, that is, more recent, when it will be possible to track. This is also such an important tool for the authorized regulatory body, but it will also be such a good tool for conducting public monitoring and control for the public within the public control,” said Aliya Baimaganova, Chairperson, Association of Environmental Organizations of Kazakhstan.

The map is publicly available on the association's website. Every resident can leave their complaints, comments or suggestions about the environmental problem and the situation in their city, village or region as a whole.

 

Translation by Ademi Serikbay, Aruzhan Bizhigitova

Editing by Saule Mukhamejanova